Minnesota: Celebrations of Life

It’s hard when a beloved resident or one of their close family members passes away. We feel the loss. At those times, we understand the last thing the family needs to be burdened with is the pressure of planning a memorial gathering. Every soul deserves to be commemorated, and The Waters Restaurant Group has had the honor of handling details for many such events. From intimate gatherings in our private dining rooms, to lavish events that span multiple rooms and accommodate hundreds of guests, our teams value the opportunity to help families and friends remember and celebrate their loved one, one more time.

We meet with the family to hear their wishes, get an idea of how many guests they may expect and respectfully arrive at a budget.  We propose a menu based on their wishes and budget, then adjust the plans until we agree we have met their desires. At recent events we have served cheese trays, fruit trays, deli meat trays, croissant sandwiches, wild rice soup, meatballs, teriyaki chicken bites, caprese skewers with balsamic drizzle, baked brie, cookies and bars. Our beverage service has included coffee, iced tea, lemonade, infused water, beer and wine. We recognize that our food and beverages are a backdrop to their memorial event and that our service must be quietly and perfectly executed.

“The difference we provided from any old caterer was to fulfill their unique requests. For example, they liked the wild rice soup that they have enjoyed in the restaurant and wanted that,” said Grady Meagher, Executive Chef at The Waters of Highland Park. “We definitely encourage residents to use the restaurant for catering, to take advantage of our ability to make special arrangements like this, to reminisce on past experiences, instead of opting for a run-of-the-mill average buffet spread, which doesn't have personal connections.”

Here’s a gallery link to some of the photos from some recent Celebrations of Life at The Waters Senior Living Communities in Minnesota. https://www.flickr.com/photos/155913970@N03/sets/72157685340183645/

Our client, The Waters, has a strict privacy policy concerning residents, so we are not able to show you the many people who attend these events, or the relaxed looks of gratitude we see on family members’ faces. We help our clients show off their communities in the best possible light during these gatherings, and we have received countless hugs from family members. After one Celebration of Life, our client wrote, ”The family was over the moon with how everything went today!  From the support we gave them as a team spiritually/emotionally…to the beauty of the restaurant environment to the amazing cuisine…….They said it was a 10 out of 10!  How wonderful we could provide this family a welcoming community to celebrate their loved one’s life.”

Our compassion shows in everything we do.

 Tina Plant | Sr. Marketing Manager | The Waters Restaurant Group